Heartbreaking: chess is a lot easier when you don't multi-task.

I was playing chess while listening to podcasts, watching videos and so on. Matches were a bit rough but I was doing pretty good still. I tried actually just looking at the game while playing without anything else and...

...Okay so I got like 150-200 Elo in two days. Which isn't a lot but like, going from 600 to 800ish feels good. And like I haven't stopped climbing yet I just don't have enough hours in the day lol

It does mean, sadly, that I have to stop playing chess while listening to podcasts or having videos in the background or while relaxing on the couch half talking to my partner while she's half reading some impressively creative smut book. Or, uh, I'll keep doing that but unrated matches for that.

You...you mean I have to actually be locked in to do well? I can't just pay attention for a second and zone the fuck out after? FUCK THIS IS UNFAIR

(...Just in case anyone is not sure because hey it's the internet, I'm 99 percent joking. I always knew that being distracted would make me play worse, but I did also assume that I'm bad enough a player that like, a X2 improvement would still be barely noticeable. Turns out uh even if you're terrible, focused terrible you is still better than distracted you)